Carbon Reduction Program

Carbon Reduction Program is sponsored by Missouri Association of Counties (MARC). Funds projects designed to reduce transportation emissions in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

# Kansas City Metropolitan Region # Federal Fiscal Years 2029-2030, Kansas and Missouri # Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) Funds The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) is accepting proposals from cities, counties, transportation agencies, and non-profit organizations within the 9-county MARC region for federal fiscal years (FFY) 2029-2030 Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) funds for projects and programs that support regional transportation and climate goals and are designed to reduce transportation emissions, defined as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, from on-road sources.

This funding opportunity will consist of two phases, an initial screening, and a technical evaluation. The dates for each part of this proposal solicitation are as follows. Completion of both phases is required for funding consideration.

Phase I – Initial Screening • Notification date: February 25, 2026 • Application website opens February 25, 2026 • Closing date: Pre-applications must be submitted in full by 4:00 p. m. on Friday, March 20, 2026.

**Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered. ** Phase II – Technical Evaluation • Opening Date: June 18, 2026 • Closing Date: Applications must be submitted in full by 4:00 p. m.

on Friday, July 24, 2026. **Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered. ** Completion of both phases is required for funding consideration.

I. Funding Opportunity Description III. Eligibility Information V.

Award Administration Information I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION The Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) was established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) and provides funding to states and metropolitan planning organizations, like MARC, to fund projects designed to reduce transportation emissions, defined as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, from on-road sources.

This program offers an opportunity for local governments to support local priorities that also reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector and support regional progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to develop project proposals that align with the regional transportation plan, Connected KC 2050 , and the Regional Kansas City Climate Action Plan and that leverage partnerships to maximize emissions reductions, sustainability co-benefits and equity. B.

Estimated Funding Levels Since the current federal transportation legislation expires at the end of federal fiscal year 2026, some uncertainty remains about the level of funding available for programming by MARC for 2029- 2030. Considering this, MARC looks to recent historical levels of funding to provide a reasonable estimate of the resources available for programming purposes.

For this project solicitation, MARC anticipates the following funding targets; however, these estimates are subject to change: # • Kansas: Approximately $4. 8 million # • Missouri: Approximately $7. 1 million CRP is a reimbursement program.

Funding recipients must have the capacity to cover project costs at the outset of project or program implementation. Eligible expenses will be reimbursed by the administering state department of transportation or the Federal Transit Administration once the applicant has submitted a reimbursement request and supporting documentation.

The metropolitan transportation plan, Connected KC 2050, includes a Programming Policy Statement that provides instructions to applicants, committees, and staff on developing funding recommendations.

The Programming Policy Statement includes: # • Guidance relating to the implementation of the strategies of Connected KC 2050 and adopted transportation system performance measures # • Consistency with current regional policies including, but not limited to, the Congestion Management Process, River Crossing Policy and Complete Streets Policy # • Instructions for planning committees on developing advisory project priorities for use by programming committees, and # • Instructions for programming committees in developing project funding recommendations for policy committees A link to the Programming Policy Statement is available in the resources section of this document.

Please review this information carefully before submitting any application(s) for funding. III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION # A.

Geography & Applicants Cities, counties, transportation agencies, and non-profit organizations within the 9-county MARC MARC’s metropolitan planning organization (MPO) boundary may submit projects for consideration. This includes the entirety of Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas, and Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte, and Ray counties in Missouri.

For Missouri applications, limited eligibility is available to recognized non-profits and school districts. Recognized non-profits and school districts shall: • Have written organizational structure with bylaws and a policy board that meets regularly. • Be in existence and be registered with the Missouri Secretary of State continuously for a minimum of five years prior to application for LPA funds.

• Not have any disparaging financial or ethical infractions on record with any government agency or private business within the past five years. • Have qualified full-time staff able to comply with 2 CFR 200 – Requirements for Federal Awards • Have written procurement processes for equipment, materials, and/or non-engineering services necessary to implement a project.

All other entities in Missouri must partner with a city or county to apply for and/or administer a federal aid transportation project. CRP funds cover many different types of activities that address vehicle trip and carbon emission reductions. For a full list of eligible activities, please consult the FHWA program fact sheet .

Examples of projects eligible for CRP funds include, but are not limited to: Bike, pedestrian, and non-motorized facilities and micromobility projects Green Infrastructure and urban forestry in transportation rights-of-way Traffic monitoring, management, and control facilities Advanced transportation and congestion management technologies Infrastructure-based intelligent transportation systems Energy efficient street lighting and traffic control devices Managing or shifting demand, including congestion pricing, tolling and transportation demand Alternative fuel projects, including public EV charging, hydrogen, natural gas and propane fueling and zero-emission equipment and vehicle purchases Projects to improve traffic flow that are eligible under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program, and that do not involve construction of new capacity Projects that reduce transportation emissions at port facilities, including EV infrastructure All projects will be evaluated for adherence with the MARC Complete Streets Policy that was updated in 2024 and must meet the following threshold criteria to be eligible for funding consideration.

Failure to meet any of the following criteria will result in the automatic disqualification of the proposal from funding consideration. Proposals must indicate how applications meet these threshold criteria. MARC will notify applicants if they are ineligible based on the threshold criteria.

• Proposals must reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2). • Proposals must not be used for the purposes of routine program implementation, meeting any legal mandate, or completion of work that should have been completed under a prior grant or cooperative agreement. • Proposals must include a detailed budget which includes matching amount and the source of matching funds (e.g., capital improvement sales tax, general fund, etc.).

• Applications must demonstrate that federal match requirements will be met. All projects require a minimum 20 percent match. • All other federal eligibility requirements must be met.

Federal eligibility is based on the April 2022 federal guidance. A link to the guidance document is available in the resources section of this document. Green, multimodal, or transportation alternative projects Up to half of the CRP funds will support projects that are green, transportation alternatives (i.e., non- single occupant vehicle transportation infrastructure).

These projects include green infrastructure along streets or greenways, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and public transportation. The balance of funds can be used for all project types eligible under this program.

Collaborative Partnerships Project sponsors are encouraged to create collaborative partnerships in the development of the project and/or for the implementation of the project, as a way to increase the potential for environmental, economic, and social co-benefits of the project.

Project sponsors are encouraged to develop projects that consider and integrate measures that help ensure safety of all road users, including those who walk, bike, drive, ride transit, and travel by other modes.

Consideration of Impacts on Underrepresented and Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations MARC is committed to fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in developing and carrying out transportation policies and programs. Because transportation projects can shape communities for many years, it is important to consider how decisions affect different groups.

This includes reviewing whether transportation-disadvantaged areas, communities with persistent poverty, and other underrepresented populations receive appropriate attention and investment. Improving transportation also involves addressing long-standing gaps in infrastructure and services.

Focusing on the needs of transportation disadvantaged and underrepresented communities helps ensure that investments support better access, mobility, and long-term community benefits In order to demonstrate greater financial commitment by project applicants and to maximize the availability of these funds for project implementation activities, CRP funds are generally not used for right-of-way, utility relocation, or preliminary engineering and design work.

Additionally, non-federal funds used for these purposes will generally not be considered as matching funds for federal dollars, except for preliminary engineering, which can be used toward the local match if the federal requirements for preliminary engineering are met. # F.

Projects Involving State Owned Right of Way Project sponsors should contact KDOT or MoDOT before applying for a project that involves the use of state owned right of way and provide a letter of support from KDOT or MoDOT with their application. # IV. PROGRAMMING PROCESS MARC programs TA funds using parallel competitive application processes governed by the Kansas and Missouri Programming Committees.

The programming committees shall consider policy guidance from the Total Transportation Policy Committee (TTPC), project scores, policy alignment and commentary from the MARC Technical Advisory Committee, and other relevant information to develop funding recommendations for TTPC.

Funding recommendations made by the programming committees are reviewed and approved by both TTPC and the MARC Board of Directors prior to being included in the regional Transportation Improvement Program. Below is a schedule outlining the process MARC will undertake to solicit and review proposals, and to select projects for funding.

The submission deadline will not change, but the dates of other steps in the process may be subject to change.

• Notification of funding opportunity February 25, 2026 • Phase I preapplication website opens February 25, 2026 • Phase I preapplication workshop March 5, 2026 • Phase I preapplications due March 20, 2026 • Staff assessment/committee survey April/May 2026 • Technical Advisory Committee Review April/May/June 2026 • TTPC review of Phase I June 16, 2026 • Phase II application website opens June 18, 2026 • Phase II application workshop June 25, 2026 • Phase II applications due July 24, 2026 • Staff review of submitted applications Complete by mid-September 2026 • Programming committee review and development of Complete by mid-December 2026 funding recommendations • Recommendations released for public comment by TTPC December 15, 2026 • TTPC approval of recommendations January 19, 2027 • MARC Board of Directors approval of recommendations January 26, 2027 • Transmittal of the project list to state and federal agencies January 27, 2027 On Thursday, March 5, 2026, MARC staff will conduct a Phase I Pre-Application Workshop and will be available to answer questions regarding the initial screening procedures and form.

This application workshop will be held virtually. A workshop applicable for Phase II will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2026. MARC staff will be available to answer questions regarding the technical evaluation procedures and form.

This workshop will be held virtually. While attendance at these workshops is not required for applicants to participate in this funding opportunity, attendance is strongly encouraged. Registration details for these workshops will be available on the application website.

The submission database is located at https://data. marc. org/suballocated/ .

The first time you use the portal, click on "Create New Account." Fill in the requested information to create a unique account. Multiple people from the same jurisdiction or agency can set up individual accounts.

You can make changes to Phase I Pre-Applications through 4 p. m. on March 20, 2026.

All information submitted by this time and date will be considered final. When the Phase II application website opens on June 18, 2026, registered users will be able to access the database to complete full applications for each Pre-Application submitted in Phase I. Phase II Full Applications must be submitted by 4 p.

m. on July 24, 2026. If you need assistance with the application database, please use the available “Report Issue” button to inform staff of any issues.

# V. Award Administration Information MARC will notify successful applicants in writing and by electronic mail. Successful applications will enter into an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) or the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Applicants whose projects are selected for funding are cautioned not to proceed with work until they have received a notice of funding obligation and notice to proceed by KDOT, MoDOT or FTA. B. Reasonable Progress It is MARC’s intent to program federal funds for projects that meet regional goals and objectives and that can be implemented on schedule to provide their benefits to the travelling public in a timely manner.

It is MARC’s expectation that project sponsors awarded federal funds will: • Make every reasonable effort to obligate federal funds for their projects in the year in which they are originally programmed. • Work expeditiously with state departments of transportation or other agencies to complete required project development activities on schedule. • Keep MARC apprised of their progress.

MARC reserves the right to reallocate funds for any project that does not make and maintain reasonable progress towards obligation and implementation in a timely manner. The local public agency manuals maintained by both the Kansas and Missouri departments of transportation are intended to be used as a guide for cities and counties that sponsor projects utilizing federal transportation funds.

For projects administered by local officials, the states will furnish information concerning the necessary federal requirements and will act as coordinator. The necessary design, acquisition, environmental, historical, and archaeological clearances and approvals, construction and maintenance of improvements will be the responsibility of the local agency.

A DOT representative will be the primary contact, furnish the necessary guidelines and coordinate the necessary reviews and approvals. DOT personnel will also advise and assist the local agency in meeting the requirements of the program. Projects are performed under the terms of an agreement with KDOT or MoDOT.

Work on any part of the project cannot proceed until the local agency has been notified by KDOT or MoDOT that federal funding has been approved — obligated — by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). If funds are approved, they will be distributed through the local agency sponsoring the project.

If a project is not completed, the local agency sponsoring the project will be required to repay the sum of federal funds reimbursed to date. The local agency will be responsible for cost overruns. The federal-aid transportation program operates on a reimbursement basis as work progresses.

It is a federal reimbursement program in which the local agency is reimbursed minus its matching percentage after KDOT or MoDOT receives proper proof of payment by the local agency to the contractor for work performed.

Regardless of whether federal funds are available at the time of acquisition, local agencies are strongly encouraged to comply with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (Uniform Act), of the Code of Federal Regulations when acquiring realty rights, easement access or other real property.

When a local agency project uses federal funds on any portion of the project, all realty rights must be acquired in accordance with the Uniform Act. If the realty rights were acquired more than five years prior to the first request for federal funds, the local agency shall submit a statement certifying that no new realty rights are needed, and the dates the existing realty rights were acquired.

If the realty rights were acquired less than five years prior to the first request for federal funds, the acquisition must have occurred within the parameters of the Uniform Act for any portion of the project to receive federal funds. D. Project Fee Per established policy, MARC will collect a fee equivalent to 1.

0% of any federal funds awarded to projects through this programming cycle. Sponsors of projects awarded funding will be invoiced for this fee in 2027. E.

Transportation Improvement Program Following approval of the funding recommendations developed by the Active Transportation Programming Committee, projects receiving funding are required to be incorporated into the regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Project sponsors are also required to maintain the accuracy of the information contained in the TIP by providing updates to MARC, as necessary. F.

Reporting Requirements The agreement with KDOT, MoDOT or FTA may specify reporting requirements. In addition, funded projects are required to report to MARC. Reports should include technical progress, planned activities for the next reporting period, and summary of expenditures.

A detailed final report which includes evaluation of emissions reductions is also required. G. Emissions Calculations MARC’s CRP Program requires all project sponsors to calculate emissions for their projects and upload a PDF of the calculation and explanation of inputs.

Helpful tools have been made available by FHWA for the CMAQ program and can be used for the CRP program as both programs have similarities in eligible project types.

These tools include calculators for the following project types: • Adaptive Traffic Control Systems (ATCS) • Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Infrastructure • Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements • Carpooling and Vanpooling • Congestion Reduction and Traffic Flow Improvements • Diesel Idle Reduction Strategies • Diesel Truck and Engine Retrofit & Replacement • Electric Vehicles and EV Charging Infrastructure • Transit Bus Upgrades & System Improvements • Transit Bus Service and Fleet Expansion Each toolkit includes a calculator tool, user guide, emissions data documentation, and training webinar.

In cases where the toolkit does not provide the needed calculators or supply CO or CO2outputs, you may use other tools or methodologies. In all cases, please document and provide your methodology along with your calculations. Please reach out to MARC staff (contacts below) if assistance is needed.

# VI. EVALUATION CRITERIA To make the most progress toward regional and transportation visions, the broad policy goals identified in Connected KC 2050 and other adopted plans and policies will serve as a guide for regional transportation investments during this call for projects. Project proposals submitted for consideration will be evaluated based on how closely they align with the policy goals of the plan.

E. Preapplication and Initial Screening The intent of this initial screening will be to strengthen quality and alignment with regional vision and goals for projects which compete for regional sub-allocated funds. Through this process, the role of the planning and policy committees will be elevated in the programming process.

As an outcome of this process, guidance and project enhancement tips may also be generated in advance of the full application process. Additionally, projects and programs submitted for consideration will be categorized into three categories, as follows: “High Alignment,” or “Aligned with CKC2050” or “Not Aligned” with CKC2050.

This determination will be based on following: • How well a project or program conforms with applicable CKC2050 policies, including: • Policy Framework in Connected KC 2050 • Congestion Management Process Policy • Major River Crossing Policy • Complete Streets Policy • Green Infrastructure Framework • Whether the project or program is referenced in Connected KC 2050: • Is project/program included in financially constrained or illustrative project listing?

• Is project/program a supporting program in CKC2050? Staff will conduct an initial screening and will survey/engage the Technical Advisory Committee for assessment concurrence. B.

Full Application and Technical Evaluation The scores developed through this evaluation process will serve as one tool to evaluate project proposals and will be supplemented by MARC committee reviews, follow-up technical analysis, and public and stakeholder input. Technical analysis performed to determine air quality benefits will utilize the FHWA emissions calculator for most projects.

A link to the full scoring criteria document is available in the application resources. A comprehensive list of MARC, State, and Federal resources for use in application completion is available on the application website. Air & Mobility Programs Manager Transportation Programs Manager